By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 24th April 2020) — Fresh opposition leader Cleone Stapleton-Simmonds of the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) feels disrespected by the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) administration on how it handled giving her notice of her swearing-in, arranged as part of the emergency sitting of parliament of the Nevis Island Assembly on Saturday 18th April 2020.
“Whether the extremely short notice (less than 24 hours) is deliberate or pure negligence, it is a clear reflection of CCM led administration’s lack of planning and organisation and ad hoc way of doing things,” she said in a statement via her official Facebook page.
Stapleton-Simmonds informed that she got a call the night before. “My people I am in total awe… I received a phone call from the Clerk of the Nevis Island Assembly at about 8:24 p.m. last night, informing me that there will be an emergency sitting of the Nevis Island Assembly on Saturday 18th April, 2020 at 11 a.m, during which time I would be officially sworn in as the leader of the opposition.”
She noted that six weeks had elapsed since she successfully contested the Nevis 5 by-election held on March 5th 2020 before being sworn in. Stapleton-Simmonds, a newcomer in the political arena and the first NRP elected female candidate, won the St. Thomas Nevis 5, taking over from former opposition leader Joseph Parry who retired from active politics in December 2019. After the ballots were counted, she garnered 514 votes, beating CCM’s Keith ‘Dis an Dat’ Scarborough.
“I am reminded of what brought me into politics… Love for country before self, therefore regardless of the situation, I am equipped and ready to serve!” she declared.